Chicago man filling potholes—artfully

Stacy Thacker Associated Press

Posted:
06/12/2014 10:45:12 AM EDT

Updated:
06/12/2014 01:50:02 PM EDT

Click photo to enlarge

In this Monday, June 9, 2014 photo, Chicago mosaic artist Jim Bachor, looks over a checklist in his basement to make sure he has all the material he needs to complete a pothole art project. Bachor has filled a few potholes around the city and marks each one with a mosaic piece. (AP Photo/Stacy Thacker)

CHICAGO (AP) — The perfect pothole might not exist for many people — but for mosaic artist Jim Bachor, it's one with a nice oval shape. Bachor began filling those potholes a little more than a year ago, after one in front of his house became a hassle.

Bachor doesn't just fill them with cement, though. He's turned pothole-filling into a public art project — one with a sense of humor. He fills them with mosaics.

"I just think it's fun to add that little bit of spark into (an) issue that people moan about," says the Chicago resident, whose work also hangs in galleries. He was first drawn to the ancient art form because of its ability to last.

In this Tuesday, June 10, 2014 photo, a pothole filled by mosaic artist Jim Bachor on a street in Chicago is protected by cones until it is ready to be driven on. Bachor has filled seven potholes around the city and marks each one with a mosaic piece. (AP Photo/Stacy Thacker) (Stacy Thacker/AP)

With orange cones and vests displaying his last name, Bachor and his helpers look official enough to shut down a street section to work on filling a pothole.

Bachor uses the Chicago city flag design in his pothole art. Some versions hold phone numbers to local auto repair shops, while others simply read "POTHOLE." His most recent installment north of downtown Chicago — "#21914" — pokes fun at the huge number of potholes that exist in the city.

While his mosaic art isn't a permanent solution to the city's pothole problem, it's at least a small fix, he says. The city hasn't shut down his project, and some community members have expressed gratitude.

Advertisement

After his first project, one neighbor stopped to thank him. "And then 15 minutes later, he came back with a coffee and a Danish for me," Bachor says, "and so I thought that was really cool."

Gerry Shaheen, a resident of Peoria, Illinois, recently stopped to ask Bachor about his work, as the artist installed a mosaic. He says Bachor and his crew are welcome anytime to fill potholes in his city, one of many hit with an especially large number of the annoying craters after a hard winter.

In this Tuesday, June 10, 2014 photo, mosaic artist Jim Bachor scrapes cement off a finished art piece while Antonina Mally watches on a street in Chcaigo. Bachor has filled seven potholes around the city and marks each one with a mosaic piece. (AP Photo/Stacy Thacker) (Stacy Thacker/AP)

"I'll pave the way for them," Shaheen said with smirk. "No pun intended."

In this Tuesday, June 10, 2014 photo, mosaic artist Jim Bachor scrapes away cement to show a finished art piece in a filled pothole on a street in Chicago. Bachor has filled seven potholes around the city and marks each one with a mosaic piece. (AP Photo/Stacy Thacker) (Stacy Thacker/AP)

In this Tuesday June 10, 2014 photo, mosaic artist Jim Bachor looks at his latest finished art project on a street near downtown Chicago. Bachor has filled seven potholes around the city and marks each one with a mosaic piece. (AP Photo/Stacy Thacker) (Stacy Thacker/AP)

In this Monday, June 9, 2014 photo taken in Chicago, mosaic artist Jim Bachor, applies a mosaic art piece onto a newly filled pothole. Bachor has filled seven potholes around the city and marks each one with a mosaic piece. (AP Photo/Stacy Thacker) (Stacy Thacker/AP)

Welcome to your discussion forum: Click the login link below to sign in with or to set up a Disqus account or to access your social networking account. When you do, your comment should be posted immediately, provided it meets the guidelines. (What are the guidelines?.) Report abuse by flagging a comment (mouse over the comment). Comments made here are the sole responsibility of the person posting them; these comments do not reflect the opinion of The Brattleboro Reformer. So keep it civil.

ODESSA, Texas (AP) — A West Texas man has been charged with impersonating an officer by using sirens and flashing lights to skip to the head of the drive-thru line at a fast-food restaurant. Full Story

Sufjan Stevens, "Carrie & Lowell" (Asthmatic Kitty) Plucked strings and pulsing keyboards dominate the distinctive arrangements on Sufjan Stevens' latest album, and in the absence of a rhythm section, they serve to keep time. Full Story